§ MR. ADDERLEYmoved that To-morrow, being Ascension Day, no Committee do meet and proceed with business before two o'clock. He said he saw no reason why the same rule as existed with respect to Ash Wednesday should not be applied to Ascension Day. He was utterly at a loss to see why any distinction should be made between the two days. He trusted, therefore, no opposition would be offered to the proposition.
§ MR. CHRISTOPHERseconded the Motion.
§ MR. BRIGHTwas afraid he must disappoint the hon. Gentleman in his expectation that his Motion would meet with unanimous approval, for he felt himself bound to oppose it. He would be glad to know where these interruptions to the business of Parliament were to end. Last year they proposed to adjourn, and did adjourn, over the Derby day; and the anniversary of the day on which an unfortunate monarch had been beheaded had often caused an adjournment of the House. This last was intended to allow Members to go to Church, though he believed very few went—he meant on that day. He hoped all Members of the House were disposed to regard the momentous event which Ascension day was understood to commemorate with proper feelings; but he could see no reason why the House should suspend its business on that day. The hon. Gentleman interfered on behalf of Committees. He (Mr. Bright) was on one—a most important one, the Irish Poor Law Committee, and he knew that there were now some gentlemen in town from Dublin to be examined before that Committee, and who would probably be detained here over Sunday if the business of the Committee were interfered with. But he opposed this Motion chiefly on the ground that he did not know where these propositions would end. Different sects had different days which were held important. Next year they might have some other hon. Member proposing some other day as sacred, and on which the House should not sit. The Irish Gentlemen might claim an adjournment for some of their numerous saints, and, for aught he knew, Wales might put in a claim for its patron saint. He should 571 be glad to hear the opinion of the right hon. Baronet the Secretary for the Home Department on this question. The right hon. Baronet might have conceded the point to the hon. Mover; but he (Mr. Bright) was sure that if he had allowed his own good sense to be his guide, he would have opposed it. He looked upon these Motions as symptoms of growing feebleness in that House, and of a disregard of their duty with respect to the important business of the country.
§ SIR G. GREYsaid, that the hon. Member's proposition was originally for an adjournment over to Friday; but he (Sir G. Grey) had told him that Government would oppose it. He had then suggested to the hon. Member the plan taken with regard to Ash Wednesday, which would enable hon. Members who were so inclined to attend divine service. He had added, with respect to the private Committees, that if no inconvenience was expected from the detention of witnesses, Government would offer no opposition to the Motion.
§ MR. SIMEONsaid, he had made up his mind to attend divine service on Ascension day. Members of Railway Committees had conflicting duties, and he called upon the House to reconcile them. He denied that there was any analogy between Ascension day and any day devoted to amusement, or even one consecrated to any human being, however holy he might have been. If the House acceded to the Motion of his hon. Friend, he should be happy to sit on his Committee until six o'clock, if it were necessary.
§ MR. BRIGHTsuggested that the matter should be left to the Committees themselves. He denied having attempted the analogy alluded to by the hon. Member; he had merely mentioned the cases, to show how the number of holidays was increasing. Ascension day was not generally observed as a holiday.
§ Motion agreed to.